Bizman Petitions AGF Over Alleged N125b Army Shopping Complex Fraud, Says IGP Stalling Prosecution of Case

A businessman, James Onyemenam has petitioned the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) over the police’s failure to take action on an alleged N125 billion fraud concerning a 24-year concession agreement with the Nigerian Army Shopping Complex – The Arena at the Ikeja Cantonment, Lagos.

Onyemenam is the majority shareholder and Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Woobs Resources Limited, which built the complex for the Army and which was allegedly defrauded.

He alleged that the police, following an order by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), concluded its investigation of the fraud since September 2024, but failed to prosecute the suspects of the fraud.

He added that the IGP had also refused to hand over the case file to the AGF.

The petitioner said he had, before this time, won two suits against the alleged ringleader of the perpetrator of the fraud at the Lagos Court of Arbitration and the Federal High Court of Nigeria while another suit is pending at the Court of Appeal.

In a statement to the media on Tuesday, Onyemenam alleged that the police independently investigated the fraud and indicted several persons, including his estranged former business partner, Mr. Whoba Ugwunna Ogo, a lawyer, and top military officers, among others, but had failed to prosecute them,

Rather, he said, he was being pressured and persecuted to drop the case.

He identified Ogo as his former business partner and minority shareholder, who allegedly connived with several accomplices to unlawfully remove him from the firm and forcibly take it over in connivance with military officers, to clear the way to defraud the company.

Onyemenam, an architect, said the fraud was committed in the course of the company’s execution of the 24 year-concession to design, finance, construct and operate a modern market (the Nigerian Army Shopping Complex – The Arena) at the Ikeja Cantonment.

He alleged that Ogo in connivance with several accomplices, including bank officials converted the money belonging to the company and had been using same to acquire properties in Nigeria and abroad.

According to him, Ogo absconded with his family to Texas, U.S immediately the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) commenced an investigation of the matter in May 2021.

Onyemenam said: “Given the inexplicable delays by the Police with all the trappings of a deliberate arrangement to prevent the prosecution of a matter in respect of which investigation has since been concluded, I authored a petition to the office of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice (HAGF).

“The HAGF’s office having been abreast with the matter moved to prosecute the case and consequently wrote to the IGP to forward the case file on, at least, three different occasions to the best of my knowledge. Since September 2024 up until now, the IGP has refused to release the case file to the HAGF, who is the chief law officer of the country.

“While these investigations have been ongoing, I have continually been harassed and intimidated by several departments of the Nigeria Police Force over the same matter. For instance, the Nigeria Police Force Zone 2, invaded my home and office and arrested my neighbour thinking it was me. As if that is not enough, The FCID Annex Alagbon has been on the prowl after me over the same matter which its head office had concluded investigation on and issued its report which is languishing in the office of the IGP. The level of interests and interference is not unexpected because this is a high-ticket investigation involving several billions of naira. I have continued to present myself to the Police while Whoba Ogo has remained at large calling to question the basis on which I am being harassed and the ethics of police investigation in Nigeria.

“It must be noted that this matter has suffered extensive setbacks due to massive external and internal interferences from prominent senators, senior military personnel, including a prominent human rights lawyer using Sahara Reporters to pervert justice, castigate and blackmail the innocent.

“It is very disheartening that rather than prosecute the persons indicted in the investigation report and the follow up investigation ordered by the IGP, we now read media reports of how the Police officers that courageously investigated this matter and refused to compromise their integrity and the ethics of the Police Force, are now being harassed and hounded by the same Police that should treat them with honour. Quite recently, we learnt of the ill treatment being meted out to these policemen whose decency have helped to preserve and renew the hope of people like me in the Nigeria Police Force.

“Again, I ask, why has the IGP refused to prosecute the persons indicted in the criminal investigation? Why has the IGP refused to send the case file to the HAGF? Who is behind the scenes and frustrating the prosecution of this matter? How on earth do we not see what is wrong in allowing the perpetuation of fraud even after thorough Police investigation has twice established the fraud committed by the perpetrators?

“I am calling on the President and all well-meaning Nigerians to ask the IGP the reason he has refused to either send the case file to the HAGF being the Chief Law Officer of the Nation or go ahead to prosecute Mr. Whoba Ogo and all the persons indicted along with him for fraudulent dealings in the matter of The Arena.”

Mr. Ogo did not respond to our correspondent’s enquiries about the allegations sent to him via his Facebook messenger.

He also received and read the same massage sent to him on WhatsApp, but did not reply same. Ogo also did not reply to a text message sent to his mobile line.

According to Onyemenam, the forceful takeover of The Arena was done in connivance with some military officers of the 81 Division of the Nigerian Army at the time.

He added: “The EFCC’s investigation revealed huge payouts from the company’s accounts to several top Army Generals and senior officers of the Nigerian Army who have made it impossible for the enforcement of the Arbitral Award of 2015 and the Judgment of the Federal High Court delivered in 2020.

“In the meantime, Mr. Whoba Ogo and his wife, Mrs. Safiya Whoba, fled the country for the USA upon commencement of an investigation into the matter by The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) in 2014.

“Having made many unsuccessful attempts to frustrate the investigation by the EFCC, Mr. Whoba Ogo and his allies filed a purported fundamental rights enforcement action against the EFCC at the Federal High Court, Lagos. Alive to its duty, the Federal High Court Judge Honourable Justice I.N. Oweibo dismissed the action for want of merit. At the same time, the EFCC secured a forfeiture order of over 11 properties and freezing of 21 Bank accounts in FHC suit with suit No: FHC/L/CS/1447/2022.”